DNR asks southwest Michigan hunters to get deer tested for CWD
Samples needed from Mecosta, Newaygo, Kent, Montcalm and Ionia counties
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking hunters to submit deer for chronic wasting disease testing when they harvest from Mecosta, Newaygo, Kent, Montcalm and Ionia counties during the 2026 hunting season.
The DNR is looking closely at these counties this year after last doing intensive CWD sampling in the area in 2019, with the goal of understanding how levels of disease have changed. The DNR has completed rotational CWD testing in every part of Michigan and established baseline data for the entire state. Now, officials are returning to southwest Michigan to gather updated information that can help determine options for disease management.
“We need to understand the prevalence of CWD in this group of counties to determine what disease management options are available, and we are asking the local hunting community for their support. We can’t get this done without you,” said Brent Rudolph, deer, elk and moose management specialist for the DNR Wildlife Division. “Our goal is to understand the prevalence of CWD, meaning how common it is in this specific area. We are committed to sharing our findings and engaging with local hunters, landowners and community stakeholders before making decisions about management options.”
How to get deer tested
The DNR is encouraging hunters who have harvested deer from Mecosta, Newaygo, Kent, Montcalm and Ionia counties to submit deer heads using the following options.
24/7 drop boxes are available now through Jan. 4:
- Haymarsh Hunt Club, 11959 Jefferson Road, Morley, MI 49336
- Kent County Road Commission, 1900 4 Mile Road, Walker, MI 49544
- Paris DNR Field Office, 22250 Northland Drive, Paris, MI 49338
- Flat River DNR Field Office, 6650 Long Lake Road, Belding, MI 48838
The Paris and Flat River DNR field offices are open for in-person sample collection 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the following dates:
- Mondays, Oct. 19 and 26
- Mondays, Nov. 2, 9 and 16
- Thursday, Nov. 19
- Saturday, Nov. 21
- Mondays, Nov. 23 and 30
- Mondays, Dec. 7, 14 and 21
For more information about sample submission, visit Michigan.gov/DeerCheck.
Why CWD matters
Wildlife biologists are increasingly concerned that CWD could cause permanent declines in the deer population in the future. Once established in an area, CWD spreads slowly through a herd. In parts of the U.S., this has caused declines in population, and the overall health of deer herds has suffered.
CWD is a progressive and transmissible neurological disease for which there is no known cure. This means that the disease slowly kills a deer over time, and an infected deer will spread the disease within its social group throughout its lifetime. A deer can be infected and spread the disease to other deer for a long time before having noticeable symptoms and can look and behave in a healthy way.
“As conservationists, our goal is to support the long-term health of Michigan’s deer herd,” Rudolph said. “When it comes to CWD, that means slowing the spread of the disease and preventing it from spreading to new areas. We know that hunters share our goal of ensuring that Michigan’s white-tailed deer are here for future generations, and we thank them for submitting deer samples that contribute to this important work.”
The DNR Wildlife Division has been monitoring the spread of CWD in white-tailed deer since the first case was detected in a privately owned cervid in Kent County in 2008, followed by the first case in free-ranging deer in Ingham County in 2015. To date, CWD is known to be present in 18 counties in Michigan, as well as across 37 U.S. states.
At this time, CWD has not been shown to be transmissible to humans.
Visit the chronic wasting disease webpage for information on disease monitoring and test results.
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